Clinical Nurse Specialist

About this role

We're looking for a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to join our team as we extend our service delivery to 7 days per week 8 am to 8 pm.

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As a CNS, you will work with the Hospice multidisciplinary team to facilitate a supportive framework aimed at enabling patients to be cared for in the home environment of their choice. You will provide information, specialist advice in symptom control and psychosocial support to patients and families in the community.

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You will act as an expert resource and facilitator to educate and train other staff including members of the local primary health care teams and in so doing helping to provide optimum nursing care for patients in their home.

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You will be involved in management tasks such as development of policies, involvement in quality and audit initiatives and educational programmes for health care professionals, staff and students including involvement in helping to implement Care Pathways.

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What are the key duties?

• Managing a caseload of patients with specialist palliative care needs in the community.
• Attending meetings and joint working with local primary health care teams and acute hospital teams and internal MDTS across the hospice.
• Ensure accurate written and computerised patient’ records are maintained, in line with confidentiality, data protection and other statutory regularly and requirements.
• Attend regular clinical team meetings, locality meetings and MDT meeting and to be able to discuss the management of patients with the clinical team.
• Assess and evaluate the needs of patients and families, recognising physical, psychological and social needs, and agreeing ways in which these might be addressed.
• Work with the wider clinical multidisciplinary team to provide ongoing assessment of current patient needs, effective symptom management and monitoring and evaluation of effects of prescribed treatment.
• Demonstrate effective communication with colleagues at St John’s Hospice, acute and community healthcare professionals liaising with other palliative care/oncological teams/units and other specialist professional teams in order to facilitate continuity of care for patients with life limiting illnesses.
• Ensure accurate and contemporaneous patient records are maintained including SystmOne inputting and the Urgent Care Record.
• Demonstrate skills in working with families facing loss and identify any particular risk factors that are of concern and communicate these to the Social Work and Bereavement Service.
• Participate in clinical audit as part of the hospice audit programme.
• Draw on research and literature to ensure all practice is evidence based.
• Share good practise with other team members.
• Having undertaken Advanced Communications Skills Training, be able to work with patients and carers managing highly complex and sensitive information utilising a wide range of methods of communication. Meeting a minimum standard on level 2 in psychological care.
• Promote and present the organisations values, at all levels to a wide range of individuals such as health and social care professionals.
• Participate in the teaching and training programmes run by St John’s Hospice, contributing to the design and delivering of up to date training programmes for a variety of Health Care Professionals in relation to the specialist area.

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Am I the right person for this role?

• You will be registered with the NMC Level 1.
• Educated to degree level.
• Have experience in palliative and end of life care in a community or inpatient setting.
• Be an excellent communicator.
• Be experienced in working effectively in a MDT.
• You will be a champion of holistic care and always considering what matters to the patient.

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Download the full Job Description to see all responsibilities of the post and person specification.